I feel like I've had so many kraut questions lately, but I know I'm close to getting this right! I finally had a batch that was doing its magic. I think because of the season, the dry air in our home evaporated the water out more quickly than the kraut was fermenting. I started with 1 or 1 1/2 in of brine above the surface of the cabbage, but the level of liquid lowered quickly. I was worried about mold contamination, so I took it out of the crock and put it in glass jars in the frig. It's still TOO salty and not fermented enough, and there's not liquid around it in the jars. Will it continue to slowly ferment or should I try again? If I add extra salt water to the kraut at the beginning next time, how much salt per cup of water would I add?

I just started some sauerkraut and needed a little extra brine so I just poured in a little I had leftover from starting cucumber pickles & ginger carrots.. I used six tbs. sea salt to a half gallon of water.

Did you pound the cabbage in the beginning? I didn't have enough brine the time I made it, but DH's batches are always really wet. He pounds the heck out of the cabbage, and I think that's the difference.

Cram it down really tight in the jars you transferred it to and set it out on your counter again. If there's still not enough brine, you can add salt water until there's enough. I had trouble with that too at the beginning. I use a crab mallet to pack the cabbage down tightly in wide-mouthed half-gallon jars.

Cram it down really tight in the jars you transferred it to and set it out on your counter again. If there's still not enough brine, you can add salt water until there's enough. I had trouble with that too at the beginning. I use a crab mallet to pack the cabbage down tightly in wide-mouthed half-gallon jars.

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I would imagine your sauerkraut is salvagable.

Evaporation is a given here, and then for some reason after I put it in the fridge, the brine goes down quite a bit. I just keep some salt brine in a jar ready to add. I check the sauerkraut regularly while it's fermenting. If the brine seems to be getting low, I first mash the cabbage down really hard, and then I add a little of the salt brine if needed. Then after transferring to the fridge, I add some again.

To make the salt brine, I boil 1 quart of water (hot water allows the salt to dissolve better), add 2 Tbs. salt, and stir to dissolve. After it has cooled, I transfer it to a jar to use when needed. That's also the brine I pour over cucumbers to make pickles (I never use it hot, though).

Christie ~ proud Mama to : 5/01, and : 3/07; and proud wife to my since 1992. We have 13 and 2 : It's looking more and more like either a farm or a zoo around here.

To make the salt brine, I boil 1 quart of water (hot water allows the salt to dissolve better), add 2 Tbs. salt, and stir to dissolve. After it has cooled, I transfer it to a jar to use when needed. That's also the brine I pour over cucumbers to make pickles (I never use it hot, though).

That's a really good idea. I haye making too much brine and then throwing it out.